Assistance to victims of crime is important to the people of Fresno County. In 1975 under Chief Probation Officer James Rowland, the Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC) was formally established through a state grant; the Fresno County Probation Department became the first Probation Department in California to establish such a Center. A year later, recognizing that victims needed a voice in court, James Rowland created the first Victim Impact Statement to provide the judiciary with an objective inventory of victim injuries and losses at sentencing. Today the right to give a victim impact statement is protected by the California State Constitution

Today The James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC) is a permanent part of the Probation Department serving over 5,000 crime victims and witnesses annually. The Center assists crime victims and witnesses with a number of specific services and referrals identified in the information below.